Warriors Short Stories
by Windblown Leaf
Summary: Follow the life of many flawed ThunderClan warriors as they experience life.
1. Chapter 1

**Pinefeather**

Enormous fronds of grass silently parted as two cats padded through the forest. The larger of the two cats, a pale grey tom with darker flecks, suddenly dropped into the hunter's crouch, his tail signaling the other cat to do the same.

"What is it, Pinefeather?" The smaller cat, a long furred tortoiseshell she-cat, quietly hissed.

Pinefeather rolled his dark green eyes. "See if you can scent it."

The tortoiseshell lifted her head up and gaped on her jaws. After a few seconds, she whispered, "A squirrel…"

"What are you waiting for, catch it Poppypaw!" Pinefeather demanded. _If I take too long…_

Poppypaw nodded her head and stalked off, Pinefeather following a few mouse-lengths behind. By now, the creature had come into sight- a small russet squirrel. But Poppypaw stopped in her tracks, staring. Luckily, they were concealed in the grass, and the squirrel had busied itself with an acorn. _What is she doing? Just catch it! I need to get to the Twolegplace border before dark!_

As if reading her mentor's thoughts, the tortoiseshell apprentice bunched her muscles, readying for the pounce. _Hmm… Excellent form!_ Thought Pinefeather, however impatient and annoyed he was. Then, with a sudden thrust of her paws, Poppypaw sprang out of the tall grass and landed squarely on the squirrel. Unsheathing her claws, Poppypaw snapped the prey's neck, killing it.

"I did it!" She squealed.

Pinefeather snorted with laughter. "Poppypaw, you've been an apprentice for almost four moons now! Of course you can hunt." Pausing, he gazed up through the overlapping branches, creating a haphazard lacework of different greens. The warm light of New-leaf sun dappled the leaves and ground. Pinefeather let out a sigh of relief. _It's a little past sunhigh. That leaves a lot of time._ "Poppypaw, take the squirrel back to camp. I'll come back soon."

Poppypaw asked no more. Instead, she padded off in the direction of camp.

"Finally…" The pale grey tom muttered.

…

"So, you decided to come!" A plump brown she-cat meowed with delight.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" answered Pinefeather.

The she-cat, Hermione, shifted her paws for a long moment. At last she whispered, "I don't trust the forest. It lures cats in, you know?" She waited until Pinefeather nodded to continue. "House cats go out for a quick sparrow catching, and then just… never come back. It's intimidating." Barely audible, she asked, "You don't kill them, do you?"

"Never! ThunderClan isn't like that!"

Hermione's eyes lit up. "You talk as if your clan is better than my house!"

Pinefeather shook his head in disgust. "No. It's not my fault I was born here. I would come to your housefolk-"The kittypet interrupted him.

"I'm just teasing, Pinefeather. I know you will come live with me when the time is right."

Pinefeather nodded. He wanted to say he loved her, and would come with her right now… but… _I need to wait until Blackbriar is better._ His mother, Blackbriar, had whitecough. He just needed to wait until she recovered.

"Pinefeather!"

The grey speckled tom lashed his tail angrily. "It's Mosstail…" He muttered.

"It's OK," Hermione soothed.

"I'll come tomorrow."

She brushed her tail on his face. "I know you will. Good luck!"

Pinefeather nodded and scrambled over the fence, back into the cold forest. He followed Mosstail's scent until he reached the black-and-white tom. Instantly, Mosstail wrinkled his nose. "You smell of two-legs!"

"Sorry, I had to chase a kittypet out of ThunderClan territory," Pinefeather shrugged.

Suddenly, the black-and-white tom's eyes were concerned.

"What?" asked Pinefeather.

"Your mother… she's dead."

The pale grey tom gawked in disbelief. "No… No, no, no…" _Not now! She can't die! The wild is too harsh…_

Mosstail rested his tail affectionately over his shoulders, "I know, I'm sad too. But, we must live on."

Pinefeather only shuffled back to camp, his tail drooping.

By the time Pinefeather managed to get to the ThunderClan camp, the sun had set, the now inky black sky glittered with stars. In the center of the clearing lay a huddle of cats, most likely mourning for their dead clanmate. He walked over to them and lay next to his brother, Ashstorm. Ashstorm only twitched his ear in hello, his eyes still closed and his pale pink nose buried in the dead she-cats long black fur. Pinefeather did the same, laying down to get as comfortable as he could for the whole night on vigil. Then, he said a silent prayer.

 _Dear StarClan… Why did Blackbriar have to die? It wasn't her time to leave!_ Opening his eyes to the sky, he gazed sorrowfully at the twinkling silver stars. _Are you up there now? Are you still looking over me, Blackbriar? Please… don't leave me completely. I still need you!_

As he silently mourned his mother, an inkling of hope crept into his mind. _I can go to the Twolegplace now!_ He cursed himself. _I still need to pay my respects._

 _I'll go to the Twolegplace tomorrow._

…

After a long night of cold and grief, the black sky slowly converged into one of grey, the stars disappearing one by one. Even though dawn was beautiful, it filled Pinefeather with more grief. Blackbriar would be gone forever… and so would he.

As the sky was filled with pinks, oranges, and reds, the elders stumbled groggily out of their nests in the fallen log. All of them simultaneously murmured, "Rest in peace, Blackbriar."

By then, all of the cats who stayed the night with Blackbriar had cleared away, looking somber and full of grief. The elders began their job. With five of them, two stepped aside- three was plenty to carry a body.

"Farewell, Blackbriar. May you journey to StarClan in peace," The ThunderClan leader, Ivystar, whispered.

"I'll always love you," murmured Fernpelt, Pinefeather's father.

Pinefeather's sorrow-filled yellow eyes followed his mother out of camp. "It wasn't her time."

As the group of cats shuffled their way to their dens, Pinefeather turned around in the opposite direction.

Noticing him, Ashstorm said, "You shouldn't watch the burial. It's sacred."

"I'm not watching," Pinefeather hissed quickly. "I'm going to get a drink of water at the river."

Ashstorm muttered something inaudible, shuffling off.

Pinefeather trotted out of camp, heading for the Twoleg border. The faint light dimly lit the forest, dew from the grass soaking his legs and paws. Brambles occasionally punctured his pelt, getting tangled in his pale grey fur. He even scented another ThunderClan warrior, but he scurried up an oak, hiding in the leaves.

After what seemed like hours, Pinefeather came to a halt, facing the straight white branches – a fence, Hermione told him – that guarded the Twolegplace.

 _No cats ever die of sickness here. Twolegs look after their pets._

As he scrambled onto the fence, he desperately looked for Hermione. Unfortunately, the pretty brown tabby was nowhere in sight. So, Pinefeather jumped down from the fence, landing in the short-cut grass of the Twoleg garden. He didn't know if it was Hermione's house or not – they all looked the same – but he let out an ear-splitting screech and crumpled to a heap on the Twoleg's doorstep.

In no time, a tall, grey furred twoleg bounded out of the house, and gently cradled him in its arms. Pinefeather opened his eyes, briefly looking longingly at the forest. He faintly shook his head.

 _There's no turning back._


	2. Chapter 2

**Ashstorm**

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!"

Ashstorm's ears perked up in excitement. He had been lying in the clearing, desperately wanting to go on a patrol. The deputy, Mosstail, answered no, saying there were enough patrols out already. Ashstorm had lashed his tail. _I can't sit here doing nothing! That's not what a clan leader does. I'll never be leader of Thunderclan at this rate._ But now, it was time to listen to what Ivystar had to say. His quest to being a leader would have to wait.

The pale grey tom padded over to the Highrock, settling next to his father, Fernpelt. "Do you know what this is about?" Ashstorm asked.

Fernpelt shook his head. "I was told nothing."

Ashstorm opened his jaws to reply, but the cream and pale brown ThunderClan leader appeared on the Highrock, her eyes sweeping the crowd thoughtfully. _Maybe Mosstail's retiring, and she had to assign a new deputy! It_ has _to be me!_

He shivered with excitement as Ivystar spoke, her loud meow ringing through the whole camp. "Do not fear everyone! For today is a day of happiness!" Her eyes twinkled with joy as she spoke. "First off, a certain apprentice has deemed themselves worthy of being a warrior. Poppypaw, come forward." The tortoiseshell she-cat clumsily bounded over to the base of the Highrock, green eyes twinkling more than Ivystar's.

Ashstorm noticed Mosstail glow at the thought of his apprentice becoming a warrior. _She wasn't your apprentice._ Ashstorm glowered. _Pinefeather taught her, and you just recommended her to be a warrior._ He narrowed his eyes. After Pinefeather disappeared, Mosstail took over the duty of being Poppypaw's mentor. It had been a moon ago, when Blackbriar died. _I still miss them so much._

Interrupting his thoughts, Ivystar continued the ceremony. "I, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained vigorously to learn your code, and I commend to her to you was a warrior in her turn." Then, she turned to Poppypaw- who was quivering with excitement and containing the urge to jump up and down.

 _I wish you could see this, Pinefeather. Your apprentice is becoming a warrior!_ Ashstorm thought with a pang of grief.

"Do you promise to follow the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan- even if you die in the process?"

Poppypaw cringed at the last part, but came back to her ecstatic self. Immediately, she replied, "I do," with a fresh quiver of excitement.

Ivystar contained a snort of laughter. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give your warrior name. Poppypaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Poppyheart. StarClan honors your loyalty and ability to stay positive in hard times. We welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Ivystar rested her muzzle on Poppyheart's head, and Poppyheart quickly licked the leader's shoulder.

"Poppyheart, Poppyheart!" Ashstorm yowled along with his clanmates. _Her name is Poppyheart, now. She is as happy as ever, Pinefeather._

He stole a glance at Fernpelt to see his eyes were dull with grief, even though he was shouting Poppyheart's name too. _He's still mourning Blackbriar and Pinefeather._ Ashstorm wanted to comfort him, but he knew it wasn't the right time. This was a happy occasion.

Ivystar waved her tail, motioning for everyone to calm down. "There is still one more announcement!" she yelled over the din.

Quickly, ThunderClan settled down, and Poppyheart took her place beside two other warriors. Before Ashstorm could wonder what the next ceremony was, Ivystar spoke again.

"Frostkit, Gingerkit, Leafkit, and Berrykit, step forward."

Three kits meekly padded forward, the fourth – Berrykit - tumbling over a second later. Each one was trembling with excitement. Ashstorm's eyes brightened. _Maybe I'll finally get an apprentice!_

"Gingerkit," she said, the ginger she-cat bouncing forward. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Gingerpaw. Your mentor shall be Ashstorm. I expect he passes down his knowledge to you."

Ashstorm gawked. He got an apprentice? _Yes! I'm one step closer to becoming a leader!_ He thought as he touched noses with Gingerpaw.

The other ceremonies were similar. Leafkit, a tortoiseshell and golden tom, was now Leafpaw, and the apprentice of Branchstripe. Berrykit was now Berrypaw, and his mentor was Snowcloud. His heart was pained with a touch of sorrow as he remembered Poppyheart and her sister Sparrow-wing being apprenticed, but the sight of his new apprentice lightened his spirits.

As Frostpaw was looking around in confusion, a new voice spoke up. "Cats of ThunderClan, you know I can't last forever. It is time I took on an apprentice." Ashstorm could finally see who was talking. The ThunderClan medicine cat, Sunberry, was at the base of the Highrock.

"I have decided that Frostpaw is to be my apprentice. If you accept, of course," Sunberry continued.

Frostpaw opened her jaws to speak, but Ivystar interrupted. "Do you accept?"

"Of course!" the white and silver tabby answered.

"Then we shall head to the Moonstone at half-moon for you to be accepted by StarClan, and so the other medicine cats can see you." Sunberry meowed, motioning Frostpaw to come. The new medicine cat apprentice slowly walked forward. "Don't be scared, I don't bite," Sunberry soothed. Frostpaw scampered over.

"You are all dismissed," Ivystar yowled.

As the crowd dispersed, Gingerpaw excused herself and went over to her mother. Ashstorm didn't argue- mentors were mature.

"I wish he could see me."

Ashstorm looked up to see Poppyheart, her gaze clouded with grief for a split second. "Pinefeather would be proud."

"Poppyheart, you're supposed to be getting ready for your vigil!" Mosstail ordered, walking into view.

"Bye, Ashstorm!" The new warrior meowed, happiness returning to her voice.

The pale grey tom snorted with laughter and sought out Gingerpaw. She was still talking to her mother, Lilyfrost.

"Ashstorm!" Gingerpaw squealed. "Can we go see the territory?"

"Tomorrow. Tonight, you need to get some rest," Ashstorm answered.

Surprisingly, Gingerpaw ran off, calling her brothers' names.

 _I'll be leader in no time!_

Seeing he had no further business, Ashstorm padded off to the warriors' den.


End file.
